Fate Interrupted

27.1 Office Encounter

Ren

"Lauren, wait."

Shit. Bryce catches me heading back toward the elevator after lunch. He must have been waiting to ambush me in the atrium. Oh well. I have to stop avoiding him and tell him about Gio and me. The elevator dings, and we both step in. The air between us feels thick, making the cab feel smaller than usual.

"Look, I need to tell you—I'm so sorry for the way I acted at the club and for making you feel uncomfortable enough to have to leave. I feel ashamed of myself. If only I can make it up to y—"

"Bryce, wait. I..." Crap. I hate this part. "I think you're a great guy, but—"

I can see he already gets it. The disappointment hangs like a limp flag in his usually lively blue eyes.

"But you're choosing Gio over me, right?"

"Um, well, yes," I say, a cringe pulling at the edge of my mouth.

His emotions pivot. "Really, Lauren? I don't think you know what you're getting into. I know that guy. He's—"

I have to stop him. "Bryce, look. I do know him. We had a long talk over the weekend. Plus, Gio and I... we have a history together, you know? We were very much in love back then, and we still are." The elevator dings again as we arrive on our floor.

"Oh yeah? Well, good luck with that," Bryce says as he steps out of the elevator without looking back.

And that's precisely why I'm glad it didn't go further than it did! I beeline straight to my desk and text Gio.

Me: I just told Bryce about us. I was nervous and kept putting it off, but I feel so much better now.

Me: I love you. I can't wait to see you tonight! <3

Metric: Good job, baby. I love you, too. I'll see you in a few hours. 333

A warmth grows inside me as I tuck my phone away. Triple threes is Gio's old pager code for many hearts or his way of letting me know he was in love with me.

At five minutes to five, I start packing up and closing my apps. While waiting for Illustrator to shut down, I re-check some cute texts Gio's been sending me throughout the day. I'm practically jumping with excitement to see him after work, but I've been hiding it. I finally allow a love-sick smile to cover my face just as Olivia turns the corner and comes to sit on my desk.

"What is going on, Ren? You've been acting very strange these last two days." Olivia squints her eyes at me and pokes my leg with the pointed toe of her patent leather heel.

"Well, it's kind of a long story, but I've got a boyfriend now."

"Not Bryce, I suspect," she accurately assesses, pulling her messy bun apart and redoing it. "He's been acting just as weird as you but oppositely. He's been an irritable baby all afternoon."

"Yeah, my date with him on Saturday didn't end well." I collect my things, and we head toward the elevator together.

"Yeah, I gathered. So... how did you go from single to taken in one weekend if not with Bryce?"

Before we get there, the elevator door dings open, and there is Gio, walking toward us, wearing jeans, trainers, and a grey hoodie—more casual today, but absolutely just as gorgeous.

"Ah! I see," Olivia murmurs to me just as Bryce and Gemma appear behind us, making their way to the elevator as well.

Crap.

Gio walks up to me making direct eye contact with Bryce before giving me a kiss.

"Hey baby," he says smoothly.

Heat rolls up my neck and flushes into my cheeks as Gemma and Bryce pass us, one staring and one glaring as they do. When they get to the elevator door, Bryce furiously presses the down button an unreasonable number of times.

"Hi, Olivia," Gio grins. He's obviously pleased to be making his presence in my office known.

"Hi, Giovanni. Nice to see you again." Turning back to me with a wink, "Well, no need to explain now. I'll get the details from you later."

I try to suppress my smile. "Sounds good. Liv."

"Have a good night, you two!" she sings and runs off into the elevator to join Bryce and Gemma just before the door slides shut. I melt with relief.

"How was therapy?" I ask, feeling more relaxed now that we're alone. I walk with him back to the elevator and press down.

"Great—really good. I think I'm going to drop it back down to once-a-month check-ins now that I'm not struggling with trying not to see you."

The elevator dings and opens for us. He places his hand on my lower back as we enter. 

"How often where you coming before?" I ask as we turn around.

"Um, Every other and then, for a little while, every week... after what happened at the club."

"I probably should have paid Sydney for how often I called her to talk about you after that night. So... if you kept coming here that often, how come I never saw you again here after that first time?"

He grimaces, "I...I took the stairs to avoid you. Sorry about that." He kisses me on the forehead as we walk out into the parking garage. The lights of his black Chevy Silverado flash as he unlocks it.

"So... this is your work truck, huh? Where are all your tools and stuff?

"I have a trailer, but I left it at home to come downtown."

He opens the door for me, and I climb up and in. Then he comes around and climbs in on his side, starts the engine, and puts his arm around the back of my seat as he reverses. His hand combs through my hair on its way back down to the gear shift.

"So, about tonight. You want me to make you dinner?" I offer.

"Sure, that sounds great! I mean, no one ever makes me dinner... since my mom died."

My heart drops, but I don't want him to see it.

"Well, I'm not as good a cook as your mom, but I can make you your favorite. How about penne carbonara with bacon and zucchini?" I ask, knowing he'd love this idea.

A boyish, hopeful look spreads across his face. "Really?"

"Really," I assure him. "I think I make it well, but just... don't judge me too harshly. Okay?"

"Don't worry, anything's better than the freezer microwave food I've got waiting for me at home right now."

"Great, let's stop by the store and get some things."

"Okay." He stops at the exit of the parking garage. "Oliver's Market or Safeway."

"Oliver's." Oliver's is more expensive, but it has way better quality ingredients, and tonight, that matters to me. He flicks the indicator and makes a right, and we drive for a while in comfortable silence.

"I can't believe I'm going grocery shopping with you," he says suddenly.

"What? Why?"

"It feels so...fuck, I don't know. I've never done shit like this."

I smirk at him. "Shit, like going grocery shopping?"

"I go grocery shopping," he defends, wrinkling his cute nose at me. "I mean, going grocery shopping with someone... I love."